A team of political scientists at the University of Illinois in Chicago, headed by Professor Dick Simpson, has studied crime statistics and has determined that in the period starting in 1976, Louisiana has had the most political corruption of any state, on a per capita basis. The study also finds that Chicago has the most corruption of any large city. Here is the 15-page report.
Most of the news about this study focuses on Chicago, but the reference to Louisiana is on the fourth page.
Louisiana has used the top-two system for state and local office starting in 1975, and has used it for Congress 1978-2006 and also again starting in 2012. Chicago has used non-partisan elections for Alderman starting in 1920, and has used non-partisan elections for the three citywide elected executive posts starting in 1999. “Top-two system” is defined as a system in which party labels appear on the ballot, but parties do not actually nominate candidates. There are different kinds of top-two systems. Fans of top-two systems sometimes argue that the Nebraska legislature is elected in a top-two system, but Nebraska legislative races do not have party labels on the ballot and most neutral commenters never list Nebraska in connection with top-two systems.
IndependentVoting, a nationwide organization headquartered in New York city, has been advocating for top-two systems for almost a decade. IndependentVoting also advocates for non-partisan elections. One wishes that IndependentVoting (whose leaders are quite influential in New York city mayoral politics, due to their control over the Independence Party’s nominations process) would acknowledge this study, and would explain why they seem to feel that Chicago is better governed than New York city. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
It is corruption that leads to the desire to implement “top-two” as well as to change to “non-partisan” elections. It is the desire of the power elite to eliminate competition and keep themselves in power by excluding all others. They want to eliminate or reduce access, or eliminate or reduce the chances of forming competitive coalitions of any kind.
The non-partisan election trick has been used historically in several states (such as Wisconsin) to eliminate unwanted competition from alternative parties that were winning.
In the case of “top-two” the creation of a single primary results in a system that operates as a single party controlled by the state. This is the same as in the old USSR. One party rule and the end of free elections is the final outcome and the goal of “top-two.”
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V. — in ALL regimes — pending some major education about head to head math using number votes.
Chicago and Louisiana are the most corrupt?? SURPRISE!!
How about make Chicago a real City-State to get both EVIL awards
— and perhaps have many more Katrina type hurricanes for the EVIL monsters in LA State – to wipe them out ???
The report shows the most corrupt states on a per capita basis are Louisiana, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Florida, California, and Texas.
The pattern here is large states with a large population center and a significant minority population.
How much corruption in larger foreign regimes – China, Russia, India, Indonesia, etc. ???
Any World Corruption Index — about EVIL rotted regimes ???
ANY thing new and different in 6,000 plus years about corrupt government officials ???
What the article leaves out is that Democrats had total control of Louisiana government until 2007. (in 2005, all statewide elected offices were held by Democrats) At least the people of the state had enough and kicked out the corrupt Democrat Party out of power. Now, all top state offices are held by Republicans and the House/Senate are controlled by Republicans. With that said, there are still local Democrats rising to the top and getting prosecuted for corruption. It is just in the Democrat politicians blood to be corrupt.
Corruption of the system leads ineluctibly to the desire of the power elite to secure total control of the system. To that end, the power elite has devised the “top-two” plan to end free elections in America.
Under “top-two” all parties are replaced by the single “Top-two” party.
Riley, you are a deliberately trying to fool people into following you into a totalitarian America. “Top-two” comprises the end of free elections. Eventually, “top-two” brings the end of liberty. Period.
“Top-two” comprises more restrictions on the process than any since the fall of the old USSR.
Under “top-two” there is one primary. That’s what you have when you have one party. That means the system will operate as if there was only one party. This is the inescapable outcome of a single primary – a one party state. There will be an increase in regulation as to who can appear on the ballot sincle the party is state contolled and only members of that single party can run in the single primary. Only party members of the single “top-two” party can appear on the real election ballot – the General election. All other parties and independents are eliminated under “top-two.”
“Top-two” moves America away from its Roots as a nation of free elections and toward a clever, sneaky system, through the aegis of state control of a single party – the “Top-two” party – with a single primary, to allow the power elite to control the entire operation of the single, one-party system and present only two candidates pre-selected by the power elite to appear on the General Election ballot.
“Top-two” is evil.
“Top-two” creates a one-party state as in the old USSR.
Under “top-two” the only party allowed to place candidates on the ballot for the General Election in November is the “Top-two” party.
All other candidates – Democrat, Republican, all third parties and Independents are excluded.
“Top-two” must be stopped and repealed wherever passed.
On the contrary, most of those Democrats simply switched to the GOP. If you “change back” all of those currently in office to Dem, the Dems still hold the majorities.
Nothing has actually changed, only the letters next to their names on the ballots.